Brittany Higgins advised potential employers at a First Nation authorities department that she identifies as an Indigenous Australian, based on textual content messages along with her greatest buddy.
This little-known truth about Ms. Higgins was revealed throughout a dialog with Emma Webster on February 10, 2021, about her upcoming job as a media adviser to the First People’s Assembly of Victoria.
At the time, Ms. Webster was The Assembly’s chief of communications and strategic adviser, and sought to expedite Ms. Higgins’ utility in order that she might safe a place earlier than it was made public.
The alternate occurred lower than two weeks after Ms Higgins stop her job as assistant media adviser to then Employment Minister Michaelia Cash, the Daily Mail Australia can reveal.
Her resignation gave her the liberty to seem on Channel Ten’s The Project and publicly declare for the primary time that her former colleague Bruce Lehrmann raped her in Parliament House in 2019 – which he firmly denies.
She beforehand advised the ACT High Court that she feared dropping her parliamentary job if she was too outspoken about her rape allegations, so, with TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson’s steering, she resigned – and apparently received a brand new cellphone quantity.
Emma Webster accompanied Brittany Higgins to the ACT Supreme Court every single day final yr throughout Bruce Lehrmann’s legal trial
On February 10, 2021, Ms. Webster requested Ms. Higgins, “What is your Mafia?” (mock-up of the displayed textual content)
The dialog with Ms. Webster started at 11:14 a.m. on February 10, 5 days earlier than she made her allegations on nationwide TV, with a message from Ms. Webster: “Hey Britt, we want to advertise the role of media consultant for the next week .’
“I’m thinking of pushing for an immediate two-month contract to get you to work for that – what do you think? Then we can bring you in for the role of media advisor.’
About half an hour later, Mrs. Higgins replied, “Absolutely! I would love that. Would you like a copy of my resume now?’
Ms Webster then tried to call the former Liberal staffer only to find her phone disconnected.
The former staffer said, “ah, leave it to me. I’ll call you tonight as soon as I set up my new number’ before sending her an email address instead.
‘Great, I’ll email you soon. I am so excited to get you on board,” Ms Webster wrote.
Mrs. Higgins replied, ‘Likewise! Thanks again for all the support.’
Just earlier than 9:30 p.m. that night, Mrs. Webster despatched a follow-up message: “Britt, what’s your mob?”
Ms Higgins replied, explaining that her grandfather had hyperlinks with Indigenous teams (mock-up of the textual content is proven)
Brittany Higgins is pictured, left, along with her buddy Emma Webster
Ms Webster stated Ms Higgins was not required to point out documentation to show she had Indigenous roots (mock-up of textual content is pictured)
Mrs. Higgins didn’t perceive the query and defined that she had not set her new quantity.
Mrs. Webster replied, ‘haha, I mean native mafia. Co-Chairman and CEO are curious,” the former staffer responded with a smiling emoji.
She went on to explain that her grandfather was connected “to the Nyawigi or Gugu Badhun people, we’re not fairly certain which.”
“My grandfather tracked down and reconnected with his siblings from the orphanage in Townsville in 2011. After that he didn’t want to go any further,” she stated.
“We have all collectively as a family respected his wishes and have left it that way for now until he feels more comfortable moving forward.”
Five minutes later she added, “My grandmother has all the documentation if you want to get it for you this week.”
Brittany Higgins is pictured along with her fiancé, David Sharaz, who additionally supported her in court docket
Mrs. Webster replied, “I understand. Unfortunately not an unusual story – your grandfather, like you, sounds incredibly strong.’
In response to the documentation question, she added, “No, not necessary at all. Literally just curiosity.’
Ms Webster went on to explain that the Assembly was seeking a ‘truth-telling process’ with the Victorian government, likely to culminate in a royal commission.
“It will be an opportunity for Aboriginal Victorians to tell the true history of this land – stolen children, massacres, frontier wars – and how they have impacted the lives of First Nations people to this day.
“No doubt there will be stories like your grandfather’s.”
Mrs Higgins stated, ‘I’m actually so excited. It’s such a vastly vital work and I’m honored to contribute even a bit bit. Sincerely, from the underside of my coronary heart, thanks.’
Brittany Higgins claims that Bruce Lehrmann (pictured left, along with his lawyer) raped her in Parliament House. He denies the allegation
Two days later, Mrs. Higgins despatched Mrs. Webster her new cellphone quantity.
Two days later, Mrs. Higgins made her televised rape allegations.
She accepted the place at The Assembly and began working two weeks later and was tasked with enhancing the Facebook, Instagram and Twitter profiles of a Nira illim bulluk man, Marcus Stewart.
Mrs. Higgins was in workplace for 2 months.
Ms Webster left The Assembly in August of that yr and took up a job as a director of presidency relations agency Hawker Britton, later turning into a everlasting fixture alongside Ms Higgins through the legal trial of Mr Lehrmann in October final yr.
The trial was halted resulting from misconduct by a member of the jury, earlier than the ACT prosecutor dropped the assault cost in its entirety out of fears for Ms. Higgins’ psychological well being.
Earlier this yr, the buddies together with Ms Higgins, Matthew’s father, arrange an organization known as Power Blazers Ltd, devoted to serving to Australians navigate the justice system.
Brittany Higgins’ friendship with Emma Webster
When ACT’s Director of Public Prosecutions introduced she was dropping the case out of fears {that a} new trial would pose a ‘significant and unacceptable risk’ to Ms Higgins’ psychological well being, it was Ms Webster who instantly issued an announcement revealing that her buddy had been admitted to a Queensland hospital.
Mrs Webster can be an previous buddy of Mr. Sharaz who was beforehand the lobbyist impressed him to work up the braveness to ask Mrs. Higgins out.
Since then, she (Webster) has been our go-to particular person: from serving to me compose an e mail to hem Brittany’s pants. She’s not a buddy, she’s really a part of our relationship,” Sharaz wrote on Instagram on the time.
Webster was additionally current on the National Press Club in Canberra when Ms Higgins delivered a robust speech with former Australian of the Year Grace Tame a yr in the past.
She beforehand labored for former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Victorian Prime Minister Dan Andrews and ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr.